NATURE AND DEFINITION OF POLITICS

At the heart of comparative politics is politics itself. Politics is the art of people trying to have
their way or do what they like because of security.

When one man’s desire conflicts with those of another over a particular resource and yet
everyone desires that resource is an art of politics.

The art of conflicting ideas over a particular resource is an art of politics.

Government is the agency set up to make laws and enforce them. The government does politics.
In return for the obedience, taxes and loyalty of citizens the state provides public goods. I.e. the
legislature, executive & judiciary perform their functions in order to provide public goods.

WHAT IS POLITICS

According to Banfield (summary), politics is the conflicting of common good and group interest
involving the use of and struggle for power.

Banfield sees politics as those process of human action by which conflict concerning the
common good on one hand, and the interests of groups on the other hand is settled and this
always involve the use of and struggle for power.

Politics is the art of compromise and decision making based on social benefits weighed against
the cost. This mostly takes place in international politics. By this definition, politics does not
only happen in states, it happens everywhere in families, businesses etc.

APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF POLITICS

1. TRADITIONAL OR NORMATIVE APPROACH: it prescribes ‘what ought to be’

instead of what is. It prescribes an ideal, a standard. It is philosophical and value laden. It
deals with questions such as what is justice?, what is liberty? What makes power
legitimate?. The objective of this approach is to establish what is good, right and just. It
also asks the question who determines what is good? What is right? What is just? . It is
the oldest approach in the study of politics. Proponents are Plato, Aristotle and Jeremy
Bentham.
 2. BEHAVIOURAL OR SCIENTIFIC APPROACH: it focuses on scientific method to the
study of politics. By scientific we mean step by step approach or systemic analytical
approach. In this approach the phenomenon of politics is subjected to regularity. This
helps in prediction of political phenomenon. It emphasizes or the elements of this
approach are:
 Individuals or group of individuals are central unit of political analysis
 Institutions are also subject of analysis
 The approach emphasizes scientific method in the collection of data. It employs
the use of statistical methods or simple frequency distribution.

Types of analysis

 Correlation analysis – how two variables correlate

 Regression analysis – how one variable have an effect on the other.

CRITICISM- how can you subject political phenomenon to scientific method

NOTE- this approach became popular after WWI. To test relationships btw. 2 variables use
correlation analysis.

To test an effect of 2 variables use regression analysis. To test preference use simple frequency
distribution.

3. SYSTEMS APPROACH: this is a set of inter-related parts which form a complete whole.
For the system to function well, all the parts of the system must be functional. It is an
organised part working together as a whole.
Characteristics
 Identifiable elements
 Relationship among the parts are interdependent
 Each part performs certain function.

This approach heavily borrowed from the natural sciences and was adapted to explain the
political system approach by David Easton.

According to David Easton a political is a society through which binding decisions of a society
are made. It is also a system that operates alongside other systems in an environment. Such
systems are the social, economic, cultural, educational & religious systems. In David Easton
political approach. A political system functions by getting inputs from its environment. This
inputs are in form of demand and support. Which could also be events or occurrences in the
environment. Demands could be in form of protests, riots and strike actions, supports could be
commendations or recommendations. This input undergo a conversion process in the political
system and come out as outputs. The deliberation of the inputs (from the society) from the three
arms of government is known as the conversion process. When there come out as decisions there
are known as outputs. The political system cannot function without the other systems.

4. STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONAL APPROACH: this is an offshoot of the systems

approach. It explains the basic functions of the structures in a political system. The
structural functional approach emphasizes the structure in the political system. Such
structures include:
 Legislature
 Executive
 Judiciary
 Military
 Interest groups
 Religious groups
 Political groups

Each structure have their different functions but still relate. There have their different functions
and need that are put into the political system. These structure articulate various interest into the
political system.

14/09/2020.

What do we compare? how do we compare?, why do we compare?,. Comparative politics is the

systemic study of differences and similarities among pol. Systems. In studying these differences
we look at or examine institutions and processes in government character and performance of
govt. and the pol. Process in different societies. We compare because it helps us make decisions.

Why do we compare:
1. It helps us describe political systems and processes
2. Comparison gives us context (basis to make judgment)
3. Comparison gives us a point of reference
4. Comparison helps us to draw up rules about politics. It helps us understand the
engagements of politics
5. Comparison helps us to understand ourselves.
6. Comparison helps us to understand others
7. Comparison broadens our options. It gives us more options to solve political problems.
8. Comparison helps us makes sense of confusing global systems and by extension helps us
find solutions to such problems.
It also helps us to understand political systems.
NOTE: the central unit of comparison is the state.
The essence of a govt. is to provide public goods. In making comparisons in political
systems we look at what differentiate btw. Weak and unsuccessful and strong and
successful political systems. A govt. that provides natural rights or public goods for the
citizens is a successful govt. such natural rights include:
 National and personal security (this is the core responsibility of the state). This is
done through enforceable rules or laws. It includes protection of the territorial
integrity of the state. Settling of disputes among citizens
 Political freedom: every state has to protect the rights of its citizens irrespective of
their differences. It is also the duty of the state to protect the vulnerable in the
society e.g. children, elderly people, to make sure that every citizen has equal
political opportunities.
 Political participation: states should ensure and guarantee the equal participation
of citizens in their political processes.
 Economic freedom: this is when the govt. make laws that support individuals and
institutions economically. The govt. should be able to provide jobs for graduates.
 Public infrastructure or working infrastructure: states should ensure that their
citizens have access to healthcare
HOW DO WE COMPARE (METHODS OF COMPARISON)
1. experimental method
 2. Statistical method
3. Case study method
4. Comparative method.

LEVELS AND DESIGNS OF COMPARISON IN COMPARATIVE POLITICS

Levels of comparative politics deals with the various levels comparisons can be carried out in the
study of politics. These levels are: single country comparison, few country comparison and many
country comparison.

1. Single country comparison: this is considered as comparative when it compares with

terms used in other countries. This is equivalent to a clinical study from medicine, where
the effect of certain treatments are examined intensively It focuses on a particular case
study and has a comprehensive understanding. Conclusions made from single cases may
not be used in other countries because of differing variable. Single country conclusions
are less secure in the development of a theory and cannot be applied in another country.
Example of a single country comparison, an individual can study the judiciary and their
processes, an individual cannot study the judiciary and pressure groups of a country.
2. Few country comparison: comparing few countries achieves control through careful
selection of countries that are analyzed. This type of comparisons is referred to as “case-
oriented” , since the country is often the unit of analysis, and the focus tends to be on the
similarities and differences among countries rather than the analytical relationship
between variables. Comparison of the similarities and differences is meant to uncover
what is common to each country that accounts for the observed political outcome. The
method of comparing few countries is divided primarily into two types of system design :
“most similar systems design” and “most different systems design”.
I. Most similar systems design (MSSD): most similar systems design (MSSD) seeks
to compare political systems that share a host of common features in an effort to
neutralize some differences while highlighting others. It seeks to identify the key
features that are different among similar countries and which account for the
observed political outcome. Most similar systems design is particularly well
suited for those engaged in area studies. The justification for area studies is that
there is something naturally similar about countries that make up a particular
 geographical region of the world, such as Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin
America, which could be common history, language, religion, politics, or culture.
II. https://www.google.com/search?
q=press+books+chapter+8%3A+comparative+politics&oq=press+books+chapter
+8%3A+comparative+politics&aqs=chrome..69i57.46262j0j15&sourceid=chrom
e&ie=UTF-8 check link for most different systems design

CASE CUBA VENEZUL GUATEMAL COLOMBI PERU BOLIVI

A A A A
key squatter Share tenants Share serf Small
cropper croppers holders
Peasant
groups
Outcome Guerrill Guerrilla Guerrilla Guerrilla Guerrill No
to be a support support support a Guerrilla
explaine support support support
d

Squatter- people who occupy a building illegally

Small holders- they have small portions of land and livelihood
Variables – the structures in a country, they could be people, concepts, institutions etc.
Read up most different systems design.
Most different system design – example the revolution in China, Russia and France have
both different contexts and cultures both the outcome of the revolution is the same.
In Britain the working class producing liberalism, Denmark the working class producing
social liberalism and Germany’s working class producing fascism. The dependent
variable is the working class or middle class. The result of Britain’s political system is the
weakness of the class, for Denmark it is the cooperation of the working class and
peasants while for Germany it is hardness of the working class. In MDSD the political
variables most be completely different.
 DIFFERENT POLITICAL SYSTEMS

COMPARATIVE DEMOCRATIC ORDER

FEDERALISM: K. T. Wheare is regarded as the father of federalism. He defined
federalism as the method of dividing governmental legislative powers so that the centre
and regional governments are coordinated and independent. Robert Dahl defined
federalism as a system in which some matters are exclusively within the competence of
certain local units and are constitutionally beyond the scope of the national government;
and certain other matters are constitutionally outside the scope of the authority of the
smaller units. Summary of the definitions between of Wheare and Dahl is that power is
shared between the central and regional governments in a federal structure.
Federalism is a political structure that connotes a political and legal relationship btw two
or more units of govt. operating at different levels. Here power is shared between the
central and regional governments or federal and state government.
Note: see the powers of the state and federal government in the constitution. Study
Nigeria’s federalism and whether it relates to the principles of federalism. E.g. how state
revenue is shared, the number of political offices allocated to each tribe, the problems
associated with diversity in the country
CHARACTERISTICS OF FEDERALISM
Williams Riker has identified three characteristics of federalism
1. Two levels of government in a political system
2. Each level has one area of action in which it is autonomous
3. There is some guarantee of autonomy in each government in its own sphere in the
constitution.

Federalism emerged as a need to have a strong govt. where the rights of each of the regional
units is guaranteed. It also arose to contain the diversity of the state, to contain the different
cultural units, religions, political ideologies etc. Robert came to the conclusion that federalism is
not static. Each state has their different type of federalism to suit their societal systems e.g.
France’s federalism is not the same as the US’s. Federalism is supposed to create a balance
irrespective of population, economic growth. Federalism is supposed to create unity. A federal
government is supposed to tackle the problems of diversity and create unity. It is because of the
problems of diversity that some scholars advocate for confederalism. It in a federal state the
government is supposed to tackle the issues of diversity by giving the regional units a permanent
unit